IRGC Reports Seizure of 14 Chinese and Iranian Fishing Vessels

The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that they have seized five Chinese fishing vessels and nine Iranian fishing vessels at the port of Jask. This comes despite the Iranian government having issued permits for some Chinese fishing vessels to operate. Timur Paydareh, commander of the 'Imamat' base of the IRGC Navy, stated in an interview with Fars News Agency on Monday, February 22, that these 14 vessels were fishing using 'trawl' nets. The 'trawl' method is a high-volume fishing technique where a large net is dragged by a vessel. Paydareh also mentioned that legal cases have been initiated against these vessels, but he did not provide further details on the reasons for the seizure or whether these vessels had fishing permits. He did not specify the exact time and location of the seizure either. Officials from the Fisheries Organization and the Ports and Maritime Organization have yet to respond to this report. According to officials from the Ports and Maritime Organization, the Chinese vessels that have been granted permits are fishing 'outside 12 miles from Iranian territorial waters' and 'at a depth of at least 200 meters.' Five days prior to this action, Alireza Tangseiri, commander of the IRGC Navy, had announced that he had ordered the seizure of Chinese fishing vessels, stating, 'These vessels have no right to fish in waters where our boats can operate.' The issue of foreign fishing vessels in Iranian waters has drawn criticism, including from Ahmad Moradi, a representative from Bandar Abbas, who claimed that 'powerful rents are behind the story of Chinese vessels.' However, Mahmoud Hojjati, the Minister of Agriculture, in response to a question from Fatemeh Zolghadr, a representative from Tehran, stated in the parliament that these vessels only catch a type of fish called 'lanternfish.' Previously, Hadi Haqshenas, Deputy for Maritime Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization, had stated that 'lanternfish are not edible and are used for powder in the livestock and poultry industry.' Nevertheless, the commander of the 'Imamat' base of the IRGC Navy claimed that the seized vessels had caught 320 tons of edible and commercial fish. Additionally, Mokhtar Akhundi, Deputy of the Fisheries Organization, announced that some Iranian companies are partnering with Chinese companies in fishing, with 51% ownership for Iranians and 49% for the Chinese.